Christmas Shoes
by roxypony
Summary: She's been sick for quite a while, and I know these shoes will make her smile. I want her too look beautiful, if mama meets Jesus tonight... The classic song with a SRU twist! R&R!
1. Cody

WOW. as if i just wrote the first (long) chapter of my much-planned Flashpoint Christmas fic the same night i started it. If anyone remembers, last year's "funny" Christmas story turned out to be a total mess of randomness, i had fun writing it. This is something TOTALLY different. I wanted to write it last year, but i ran outta time...

So basically it's a songfic to "Christmas Shoes for Mama" by Bob Carlisle, with an SRU twist! it doesnt directly follow the lyrics, but itll all come together.... :)

i don't own the song which will be featured later, the SRU, the Eaton Center, or Ugg boots (although i do have 1 pair, i dont own the company. if i did, i could probably buy rights to Flashpoint. if only. :)

so this is the first chapter of probably 3, enjoy!

* * *

_It was almost Christmas time  
there I stood in another line  
tryin' to buy that last gift or two  
Not really in the christmas mood  
standing right in front of me  
was a little boy waiting anxiously  
pacing around like little boys do  
and in his hand he held  
a pair of shoes_

and his clothes were worn and old  
he was dirty from head to toe  
and when it came his time to pay  
I couldn't believe what I heard him say

Sir I wanna buy these shoes, for my momma please  
it's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size  
could you hurry sir?  
daddy says there's not much time  
you see she's been sick for quite a while  
and I know these shoes will make her smile  
and I want her to look beautiful  
if momma meets Jesus tonight...

* * *

In December, Toronto's Eaton Center is alive. Everyone wants to put a price on something for that special someone, in hopes of creating a feeling that's priceless. In December, the world looks to the sky and anticipates something all of humanity can believe in, a reason to hope that the world still has happiness left in it. In December, the city smiles. The lights smile, the tv smiles, the store owners smile, and the churchgoers smile. It's Christmas. With all its passionate insanity, laced with love and tinsel, Christmas had taken Toronto by force.

But on December 23rd, in the most luxurious shoe store in the E.C., 14 year old Cody Mayne wasn't smiling. He laughed bitterly at the Abercrombie-wearing-Blackberry-texting chicas in the same asile as him as they made a life-changing decision. (Silver or gold Guess stilettos to wear to the next party?) But he didn't smile. He couldn't remember the last time he smiled genuinely. Why bother smiling. It wouldn't get his family out of the poorest neighborhood in town, it wouldn't give him a reason to stop carrying a gun in his bag for self-defence, and it wouldn't save his mother's life. She was fucking dying, and probably wouldn't last into the new year. Smiling wouldn't fix anything, so he simply did not waste the energy.

He began to move towards the exit, but a soft golden spot caught his eye. On a table marked New Arrivals, there was an array of Ugg boots. He wouldn't normally have looked at them, stupid overpriced slippers that no rich girl could live without. But the classy tall pale gold pair in the center caught his eye, and held his gaze. He carefully touched the baby-soft fabric, and ran his hands down the real wool lining. Under the shelf was a pile of boxes, plenty of size 8's, just right for Kari Mayne. The perfect boot to warm the feet of a dying woman in a house whose heating system no longer worked...

Desperately, he turned over the price tag, praying in vain for a small figure. 300 He tried not to feel disappointed, he should have known better than to get his hopes up. In fact, he didn't know what the hell he was doing in this store. He'd set out looking for something nice for his mom, to take away her pain for a little while, and maybe give her a reason to smile. But he was yet to find a pair of shoes under 100$. In his pocket, there was a dirty 20$ bill he'd been saving for who knows how long, and his ancient piece-of-shit cell phone with almost no money on it. As he stalked irritably out of the store, he received a call on said cell phone. He flicked it open, noticing the hinge was on the verge of breaking. So much for that.

"Yeah." he answered, the tough weariness of an almost-street kid etched into his voice.

"Cody, the test results came back today." came the tearful voice of his 10 year old sister Kaity. She was the sweetest, most beautiful little girl Cody had even met, she deserved to live in a mansion, not the Godforsaken shack she was forced to call home.

"What's the deal." he asked, his voice not betraying the fear that welled up in his throat.

"The tumor's inoperable " she whimpered, her voice clearly breaking.  
"Ok." he replied numbly. There was nothing else he could say. How stupid he'd been to expect a miracle...

On the other end, Kaity sobbed something indecipherable.

"I'm coming home now. I'll see you soon. Love you." he concluded mechanically, snapping the phone shut.

He half-ran out of the store, sure he was about to throw up.

Instead, he turned and ran back in. Ripped the box of size 8 gold Uggs out of the pile, bolted out of the store, and ran for his life.

Instantly, the alarm screamed, but he was already on the elevator. Now the security guards were screaming. Still running, he dipped his hand into his backpack, withdrew his "self-protection device" and fired a few bullets behind him. In one second, chaos transformed the bubbly atmosphere into a house of panic. Hell-bent, determined, and dangerous, the 14 year old boy ran until he was cornered.

A line of security guards, all with handguns drawn and aimed at his head surrounded him. Shaking in terror, Cody stepped backwards until his back was against the wall. He could drop the boots and find out what the inside of jail looked like...

Or he could get the fuck out of here, and give his mom a present she deserved.

The feeling of his finger around the trigger steeled his nerves.

"Let me out of here, and no one gets hurt " he croaked. Angry at the weakness he heard in his own voice, he pointed the gun skyward and fired. The guards took a step back. It was all he needed. 14 year old Cody Mayne advanced, gun still raised

"I said, let me out of here and nobody gets hurt " he roared.

"SRU Team 1 is on the way." one security guard muttered under his breath.

"Thank God. I don't want to be the one who shoots this kid." a second guard replied.

Cody didn't hear any of that. All he could hear was his blood pounding in his ears, and mother's voice in his head, thanking him for the beautiful Christmas shoes.

* * *

So i was pretty disappointed i couldn't fit T1 into chap 1, but next chap will focus on them. This chap was basically to introduce my OC Cody and his situation. I dont really like OC's, but i kinda had to make one to make this fic work...lol.

Youu know what to do, press that nice green Christmassy button! i appreciate it more every time :)

ps, if you happen to be in the Flashpoint Facebook group, CHECK OUT THE CAPTION CONTEST! i came up with the idea and developed it along with some amazing friends. even if you dont enter, feel free to read the captions!! Damn theyre funny!!

pps, you can now follow Roxypony Studios International on Twitter! more info located on my profile.

--------  
*Roxxy,  
How do you stay so fresh?  
I think cool thoughts.  
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	2. Shopping Gone Wild

Damn ive been trying to upload this all night. stupid website hates me.

VICTORY IS MINE!!

i know this isnt the best-written fic, it was extremely rished as my christmas ones tend to be... ill come right out and say it, im a big fat friggen procrastinator! so sue me!

* * *

"Hot call, hot call! Team One gear up! Shots fired at Eaton Center!"

"Last-minute shopping gone out of control?" Greg wondered aloud as he climbed behind the wheel of the first of the three Chevy Suburbans.

"Thank God I finished up yesterday. Pink iPod for Lainey, Hannah Montana Barbie-with-Horse for Allie, Poodle Webkinz for Kady, and purple mini-laptop for Shelley. Or was it purple iPod for Allie, Hannah Montana for Lainey, and pink laptop for Shelley? Or was it- oh well, at least I got the Webkinz right." Wordy concluded as he jumped in beside Greg.

"Or was it poodle webkinz for Wordy?" Spike's voice came over the radio from the other truck.

"Laugh it up, Spike, but what did you get your mom this year? Another cookbook?" Ed added.

"As a matter of fact, me and Dad got her a barbecue. It's brand-new top of the line, and it cook enough steaks at one time to feed a family of 12."

"I had no idea Mama Scarlatti liked giant steaks that much." Ed laughed.

"You'll thank me at the Annual SRU Barbecue-"

"-Which is traditionally held at the Lane house." Ed shot back posessively.

"Yeah, the barbecue fits in my truck you know!"

"Ok boys, you can talk barbecues later. We have a subject profile incoming." Greg interrupted as they pulled onto the highway.

"Subject is Cody Mayne, 14, male, from downtown. They identified him by checking out the cell phone he dropped. Still waiting for a home address." Kira informed them over the radio.

"That's great Kira, any other details?" Greg inquired.

"According to a security guard, he ran into a shoe store, grabbed a box and took off. When the guards chased him, he fired 5 times."

"Any casualties?"

"Negative. But I'm just receiving word that the stolen property was...size 8 gold Ugg boots. Retail price 300$."

"What did I tell you? Last-minute shopping gone wild!" Greg concluded as the cavalry consisting of 3 powerful SUV's swept into the rapidly emptying EC parking lot.

"What kind of 14 year old steals women's boots, then shoots up a mall?" Jules wondered as she helped Sam unpack their truck.

"Maybe his girlfriend has him on a tight leash?" he suggested.

"A gun? Seriously?"

"You know kids these days." Sam sighed. "Remember Tasha?"

Jules would never forget Tasha. In fact, that ledge they'd plunged off together? She could see it from here.

"I just hope we can talk this one down." she answered tightly. " There's someone out there who he loves enough to steal 300$ boots for."

"We don't know they're for someone." he reminded her gently. "He probably wants to re-sell them."

"Come on Sam. He's 14, and it's Christmas."

"Well, if anyone can get him home, it's us." Sam replied softly, focusing his blue eyes on her deep dark ones.

They put their backpacks on, joined up with the rest of the team and walked into the mall together. All the while, Jules couldn't take her eyes off the blond sniper walking slightly in front of her. The snow falling softly in his hair, the way he'd run his hand trough it when he got inside, the way it stuck up when it was damp...

Down, girl. She reminded herself again and again. You had one Christmas with him. That's enough.

***

"Be honest, Kevin. Does this feel like Christmas to you?" Greg inquired as he fastened his bulletproof vest.

"When you have three little girls screaming Hannah Montana christmas songs and writing letters to Santa, it can't really be anything but Christmas." Wordy mused with a smile as he safety-checked his pistol.

"But if you tune that out...this year is different, right? Tell me I'm not the only one who feels it."

"Boss, we haven't forgotten Lou."

"I know we haven't."  
"But?"

"Christmas doesn't feel right this year. Like everything that made Christmas Christmas is gone."

"I did notice an absence of decorations at HQ this year."

"Spike didn't get his mom to bake green cookies."

"Sam didn't bring in those reindeer things from last year."

"Last year...damn, what a year."

"You can say that again."

"I don't feel right celebrating without him. We're not Team 1 anymore."

"He wouldn't want us to think like that, Boss. You know he wouldn't."

"I miss him."

"You're not the only one."

***

The Command Post was set up in the security room, which happened to feature an instant-mocha-maker. While Spike took full advantage of this, he managed to pay attention as Greg gave the orders:

"Spike. Stay here, monitor the situation. Any new information on the subject, report directly to yours truly. Eddie, Sierra One. Jules and Leah,. Crowd control. Send witnesses up here. I shall negotiate. Sam, you're my second. No unecessary risks on this kid, that goes for everyone! Let's go meet our friend Cody!"

* * *

chapter 3 will follow in about 5 minuites!


	3. What Would Lou Do

"Hey Cody! Merry Christmas! I'm Sargeant Greg Parker with the police Strategic Response Unit. How are things going over there?" Greg introduced himself in his usual casual but guarded tone as he stepped behind a bullet-proof shield. Cody was backed up against the wall, surrounded by a battalion of cops, but still held the gun at eye-level, and seemed extraordinarily unwilling to release the boots.

"It'd be a lot better for everyone if you got the hell outta my way!" came the retort.

" 'Fraid I can't do that, Cody. I'm gonna have to stay right here until we get this thing sorted out." Greg then turned to Sam. "He's talking tough, but look at the way that gun's shaking in his hand. He feels alone, he's scared, and I don't think he knows much about this kinda thing."

"I got the solution." the sniper answered.

"Copy that Braddock, but our goal is to get this kid outta here alive."

Sam frowned. Did Sarge think he wanted to put a bullet through the 14-year-old's head?

Greg focused his attention back on the boy with the gun.

"Cody, could you at least tell me who those nice boots are for?" he inquired politely.

"Why do you care? It doesn't matter! Just get out of my way and let me out of here!" Cody snarled, holding the gun a little higher and taking a step forward.

"He's escalating." Sam muttered.

"I noticed." Greg replied, completely unfazed.

"So let's tase him?"

"Muscle spasm, he'll pull the trigger." Sarge answered.

Duh, Sam. We've heard that one before. Braddock mentally berated himself. Stupid question. You know better than that.

Greg took several steps away from Sam, drawing closer to Cody. The gun remained aloft.

"Come on Cody, tomorrow's Christmas Eve. There must be someone out there that's important enough you'd go through all this trouble for. 'Cuz what's a young man like yourself gonna do with some overpriced gold slippers?"

Jules heard that over the radio, and smiled, proud of herself for having the same instinct as Sarge.

At about 15 feet away from Cody, Greg could clearly see the line of tears falling from his eyes. For the first time, the boy's eyes met Greg's, and the gun dropped a fraction of an inch. His lips quivered as he decided how to answer the question.

"Who are the boots for?" Sarge prodded.

Cody's expression changed. His uncertain look of childish fear was replaced by a look of vicious determination. In one split second, the gun went up.

"They're for my mom, okay?" he yelled in rage.

A shot echoed across the building. A light fixture above his head exploded into a shower of sparks. Greg and Sam huddled under the bullet shield until the explosive pops and cracks ceased.

"Damn it."Sam stated in a slightly awe-struck tone as he noted the burns on the front of the shield. "Are you sure about this kid, Sarge?"

"You can never be 100% sure of anything, Sam. It's important to remember that."

"So we're continuing negotiation."

"A lethal solution is not an option at this point. We have to get inside his head, find out why."

"Copy." the sniper replied wearily, staring down into the scope. "I still got the solution."

The Sarge focused his attention back on the subject.

"Cody, that wasn't a good idea. We're trying to get you outta here safely, and you're not doing a very good job of helping us..." Greg reprimanded, attempting to keep his voice even. "You're lucky nobody got hurt, especially my team."

"I told you to get out of my way!" the boy retorted, unable to keep his voice from shaking. "Next time I shoot, it'll be in someone's head!"

The look in his eyes was unmistakable uncertainty, but whether or not he could actually shoot at someone, Greg was unsure. He wasn't going to risk his team.

But he wasn't going to let a young boy die at Christmas. He was damn sure of that.

Again, he took a cautious step forward.

"Cody..."  
"What?"

"Tell me about your mom."

"Why the fuck do you care?" the teen snapped, hand tightening on the gun.

"Hey. We don't have to talk like that." Greg reprimanded gently but firmly. For a second he could have been talking to his own son...

"It doesn't matter." Cody muttered, staring blankly at the gun in his hand.

"So you tell me what does matter." Greg persisted. "I know your mom must matter a lot, because if she didn't, you wouldn't be cornered by 12 officers, holding a gun and a pair of 300$ boots. Am I right."

Slowly, subject raised his head and fixed his angry desolate stare upon Greg's face, and nodded. It was a barely visible to everyone but Greg. To Greg, it was a signal that the volatile 14- year-old was on the verge of opening up.

"That's great Cody, I'm glad to hear that your mom matters to you that much. It's just your methods I don't agree with."

"I'll do what I have to do." Cody informed him warily. But the angry edge in his voice was less noticeable this time.

"So perhaps you could tell me, why these boots in particular?"

"Cuz the bastards at the hydro company shut off our heat, that's why."

The familiar adrenaline rush that always came with taking one step closer to solving the puzzle enveloped Greg and kept him talking:

"I'm sorry to hear that, I truly am. I've been there myself, its not a good situation. Especially when you're a young man, you feel like you need to do everything you can possibly do to help out the ones you love, right? And if its not enough, then you feel like you're not enough."

Cody stared long and hard at the cop before him, daring him to continue speaking.

"It's a sad story Cody, but the ending doesn't have to be bad. It seems impossible from where you are, but I've come through it, and if you can make it to the other side, you'll learn just how strong you can be. But man, shooting up a mall isn't the way to get where you want to go. Trust me."

Cody eyed Greg with a look of contempt.

"Yeah, it sounds great when you talk about it like that. Like something out of a fucking Disney movie. But here's the thing, officer. It's not my life I give a damn about. Because my mom's life is gonna be over before the holidays. She has an inoperable brain tumour, and she could drop at any minute, so I'm gonna ask you one more time: get the hell out of my way so I can give her a present she deserves!"

There are times when even a seasoned negotiator can't say anything. Greg's mind reeled. What could he possibly say?

"Guess we know where he's coming from." Spike muttered.

"I'm glad I'm not negotiating this one." Jules breathed.

"What can you say to that?" Leah wondered aloud. "'Drop the boots or we'll shoot?' I pity this kid, and the Boss."

"Sarge will figure something out." Spike replied through gritted teeth. "You can be sure of that. There's a way to do this, there has to be. And if there's not, we'll find one. " Talk to me, Lou.

"I never doubted him, Spike." Leah replied in a cool and even tone.

***

"I am sorry to hear that, Cody. I mean that with all my heart. It can't be easy going through that and feeling helpless."

"I have to get out of here, don't you understand?" Cody gasped, sounding more desperate than angry now. "She always gave us a good Christmas, always! Even though we were broke as shit every year, she always made us feel like rich kids for a day, and she never got anything for herself. I have to do this for her!"

"I couldn't understand more, Cody. I hear you, you have to know that." Greg repeated wearily, although he meant every word. "I wish it were that easy, but this is stealing, and its wrong."

"Do you think I don't know that?" the subject was sobbing freely now. The gun remained ready to fire. "I'll work till I pay it off! I'll go to jail, I'll do community service! You can take me away and lock me up forever, I don't care! After this holiday I'll have nothing to go back to anyway. I'll do anything, just as long as I can give her these boots!"

Greg Parker felt an unbidden tear slide down his face.

"We can't legally let you do that, Cody. I'm sorry. It's not just the boots now, you've threatened authorities, fired a gun multiple times, destroyed public property. I'm sorry. I think the best gift your mom can get right now is to see you safe and sound."  
"No..." Cody protested, sounding weak and exhausted. "I can't...I CAN'T! If I can't go home with a good present then I don't deserve to go home."

"Cody don't do it. Don't do it!" Greg pleaded desperately as he 14 year old pressed the barrel of the gun to the right side of his head." "You're upset, you're not thinking clearly, put the gun down and we can talk this over!"

The gun went down. Slightly down, just far down enough to point directly at Greg's forehead.

"Sam, Scorpio." Ed muttered over the radio.

"Hold on Scorpio!"Spike suddenly yelled through the airwaves. "Sarge, if you can just keep Cody talking..."

"He's threatening an officer, Goddammit!" Ed snapped.

"I'm walking down with a cheque for 300$. We can give him a police escort to his house, he can see his mom, give her the boots, then we can take him to the station." Spike concluded in a determined and emotionless tone.

Silence and shock radiated from the airwaves. Cody's hand shook on the gun, as he muttered threats Greg couldn't hear.

"Spike...why?" Jules finally whispered.

"Lou isn't here to do it. Someone has to."

"Cheque's here." Sam quietly informed Greg as Spike quietly came up behind them. Greg drew breath for one last effort to talk Cody down, but Spike beat him to it.

"Hey Cody, I've heard your whole conversation with my buddy here, I really don't think you should have a gun to his head right now."

"Why." Cody glared, daring Spike to give him a reason.

"Cuz you really don't want someone else's blood on your hands at Christmas. Trust me. If you shoot that officer, you'll be taken down by a sniper before his body hits the ground." Spike said matter-of-factly. "If it wasn't for an idea I got from an old friend, you would have been shot by now."

Cody stared blankly back at Spike with eyes devoid of life.

"Cody, in my hands is a cheque for 300$. Your mom can have her Christmas boots. We're going to drive you home and let you spend some time with your family. Then we'll take you to the police station. There will be consequences for your actions, but I don't see why your mom should pay for it. From what you've told us, she really deserves these boots. And a son brave enough to to anything to get them to her. But you have to drop that gun right-"

The gun clattered to the ground before he finished the sentence. The boy crumpled to the floor beside it, clutching the box containing the soft gold Uggs, and sobbing convulsively.

As an officer handcuffed him, he locked his bloodshot eyes onto Spike's lonely ones, and mouthed,

"Thank you."

Spike nodded at the boy, and turned his eyes onto the rest of the team who was now gathered at the scene. He stared down each and every one of them.

"Was it really that hard to remember him?" he whispered, voice tinged with anger and disgust. "Took us long enough. What rule did we make right after that day? Always remember to stop and think: 'What would Lou do?' How many of us remembered that today? All we cared about was ending the situation and stopping a theft. If he'd been here-"

"I can't believe you, Spike." Jules whispered. "Our goal was to get him home safely. It always is."

Spike shook his head miserably.

"It doesn't matter. I did what he would have done, and it's over."

"Spike, come on." Sam said imploringly. "Let's just go de-brief. It's Christmas. Lou wouldn't want this."

Nobody could tell from the outside how painfully close Spike was to breaking down. As the shattered remnants of the great Team One walked out of the Eaton Center, Spike couldn't have been farther away. He would spend Christmas like he always had, side-by-side with his best friend. No matter how far he had to retreat into himself, it would never change.

_He counted pennies for what seemed like years  
Then the cashier said, Son, there's not enough here  
He searched his pockets frantically  
Then he turned and he looked at me  
He said Mama made Christmas good at our house  
Though most years she just did without  
Tell me Sir, what am I going to do,  
Somehow I've got to buy her these Christmas shoes_

_So I laid the money down, I just had to help him out  
I'll never forget the look on his face when he said  
Mama's gonna look so great_

_Sir, I want to buy these shoes for my Mama, please  
It's Christmas Eve and these shoes are just her size  
Could you hurry, sir, Daddy says there's not much time  
You see she's been sick for quite a while  
And I know these shoes would make her smile  
And I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight_

_Bridge:  
I knew I'd caught a glimpse of heaven's love  
As he thanked me and ran out  
I knew that God had sent that little boy  
To remind me just what Christmas is all about_

* * *

Merry Christmas guys. Ilysvm!!!!

Maybe this wasnt the most realistic fic. all that trouble for boots? idk. but ever since last year i wanted a fic to go with the song :) rando.

ps. Santa might be bringing Roxy her very own laptop this year to cure her terrible slow updating & procrastinating disease? mmmmebbeh.

PS, before Christmas is over, youu may check out my other 2 Flashpoint Christmas works, located on my profile. But i must warn you, theyre random. :)

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Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from Roxypony Studios International!


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